Vegan Smoky Corn Chowder
Table of Contents
An easy-to-make and flavorful smoky corn chowder, perfect for cool nights. This recipe is dairy-free, for a lighter, delicious, vegan version of a classic.
I know that I'm always talking about the weather, but when it comes to food, it dictates so much! A warm breeze with light humidity may call for a plate of tacos, cold and rainy days may make you reach for a comforting pot pie, and a hot, thunderstorm coming your way will have you leaving all appliances off. Well, yesterday there was a freak day in which the weather decide to stay under 80ºF and remain cloudy for most of the day -chilly I know ;)- so I wanted to take full advantage of the break in intense heat and humidity. It was time for soup!
Of course, it still is summer so I couldn't forget to use some seasonal ingredients. In this case, I chose corn; as a starchy, slightly sweet vegetable it is pretty versatile. One dish that I love, that I very rarely eat- oddly enough- that utilizes the golden kernels well is corn chowder. A creamy, usually insanely delicious, soup that isn't all that healthy most of the time. Well, with my recipe, I've added a good amount of other veggies, used far less creamer/milk, and added a smoky flair to it. Once the smoky corn chowder was simmering on my stove, near completion, my kitchen filled with amazing aromas. For a moment I stepped outside to check up on the dogs, but when I came back in, the scents enveloped me and hugged my nostrils gently. Yes, it smells that good.
Not only does my version of smoky corn chowder taste great, it is really easy to make and doesn't take long at all! Soup recipes- to me at least- can sometimes be intimidating because of the length of time they take to prepare, not so with this one. I think I'll be making this soup again once the weather truly cools down, and who knows, maybe I'll even share it. 😀
Substitutions + Tips
- Oil - for an oil-free option, sauté aliums in water or vegetable broth.
- Shallots - I love shallots but know they're not always easy to find, you can substitute them with ½ cup finely diced red onion, if need be.
- Corn - fresh or frozen work here; what I like to do is use half frozen roasted corn kernels in this recipe for extra smoky flavor!
- Non-dairy milk - I use unsweetened soy milk in most recipes, but if you want an even richer chowder, you can use unsweetened/unflavored vegan creamer or half & half.
- Spinach - as you can see in the photos, I didn't use spinach as called for in the Vegan Bowl Attack! recipe and instead used chopped Swiss chard. You could also use baby arugula or chopped kale here, if that's what you have on-hand.
Other soup recipes you may like!
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Vegan Potato Corn Chowder
- Hearty Lentil Rice Soup Mix
- Winter Bisque with Crispy Sage & Shallots
- Instant Pot Tomato Bisque from Scratch
One Year Ago: Half & Half Veggie Seitan Sausage Pizza
Smoky Corn Chowder
An easy-to-make and flavorful smoky corn chowder, perfect for cool nights. Recipe from Vegan Bowl Attack! copyright 2016, Jackie Sobon. Dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sunflower or other high temp oil
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups (615 g) corn kernels, either fresh, or frozen and thawed
- ¼ cup (20 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tamari
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 cups (60 g) packed baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons (3 g) chiffonade-cut fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- ½-3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Optional: serve in 4 bread bowls
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, warm the sunflower oil. Add the shallots and garlic to the pot and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn kernels, nutritional yeast, tamari, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and onion powder to the pot.
- Add the vegetable broth and non-dairy milk to the corn mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and carefully use an immersion blender to puree about half of the corn kernels (so it remains slightly chunky).
- Cover the pot, bring the soup to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fold the spinach and basil into the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and divide it among 4 bowls. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and basil, serve while hot.
Notes
- If you do not have an immersion blender, you can transfer half of the soup to a blender in small batches and carefully puree it with a towel over the top of the pitcher instead of the lid. Otherwise you run the risk of it exploding everywhere.
- Oil - for an oil-free option, sauté aliums in water or vegetable broth.
Shallots - I love shallots but know they're not always easy to find, you can substitute them with ½ cup finely diced red onion, if need be. - Corn - fresh or frozen work here; what I like to do is use half frozen roasted corn kernels in this recipe for extra smoky flavor!
- Non-dairy milk - I use unsweetened soy milk in most recipes, but if you want an even richer chowder, you can use unsweetened/unflavored vegan creamer or half & half.
- Spinach - as you can see in the photos, I didn't use spinach as called for in the Vegan Bowl Attack! recipe and instead used chopped Swiss chard. You could also use baby arugula or chopped kale here, if that's what you have on-hand.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Serve this soup with a hearty toast, a large salad, or both! Just to keep things balanced of course. What's your favorite recipe that uses corn?
Ooooh, I cannot wait to try this! This looks amazing!
So, so pretty! And chunky, which is how I like my corn chowder. I've been eating raw corn all summer in salads but I think it's time to change it up 🙂
This is gorgeous!
Thank you, Love!
I just bookmarked this. SO excited to make it...hopefully this weekend. 🙂
Awesome!! Let me know if you do, I'd love to hear your feedback. 😀
I finally made this for dinner tonight. So, so good!! My husband was also a big fan. I'm excited for leftovers tomorrow! 🙂
I rarely eat canned food and was wondering if you ever tried this recipe with frozen corn? Looks amazing!
Absolutely! As long as you thaw it out beforehand. Also, thank you for the idea! I'll probably try that next time. 🙂
That looks like heaven in a bowl. Seriously. I love all the mushrooms in it too!
When it comes to corn, I love it mixed into salads or in tacos, but my all-time favorite is corn on the cob with smoked paprika. 🙂
I've never tried sprinkling smoked paprika straight onto the cob! That sounds like a marvelous idea. I'm used to dousing it with cholula and hurting my lips. ha ha 😉
Truly, this looks like creamy, comfort food heaven in a bowl. It will be so hard to say goodbye to corn for another whole year, but the days have suddenly grown much colder... This is the perfect way to ease into fall-like weather.
I totally agree! It's only October and I'm missing this soup already. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't buy a bag of frozen corn at the store the other day with this in mind... 😉
I just made this soup - delicious!!! The whole pot is about to be gone, and there's only two of us! How do you think it would be with potatoes added in?
Awesome!! I'm so glad that you liked it. I think it would be great with the addition of potatoes, you should definitely try it out. 🙂
Love me some corn chowder! Can't wait to try your recipe!
I've only tried corn chowder once I think. I remember it being very good. I never made any myself assuming it was far too much trouble. Your recipe looks great though. Do you think potatoes would be an ok substitute for mushrooms? Mushrooms and me don't exactly get along lol. I really want to try your recipe though. It looks great!
Honestly, my most favorite soup is corn chowder!!!! I love love your recipe, and love finding a healthy version!!! It looks delicious:-) Hugs, Terra
This looks amazing Jackie! I never know what to do with corn, but this looks like a perfect way to use it. Boston evenings are getting chilly now, so I will make it soon!
I'ce never actually had a chowder before, this looks so comforting!
Love your blog - it's so bright and cheerful! Just found it via The Verdant Life and the vegan mail swap - I can't wait to sign up for the swap next month!!
Awesome! I love the Verdant Life! Hopefully, I'll be able to sign up for the swap, next month, as well! 🙂
Oh, how exciting! How long would this last in the fridge? There are only two of us in the house and we are the King and Queen of leftovers 😉 ha ha
I ate mine over the period of a week, so that should be fine, maybe even longer?
I started making this tonight and got carried away with the mushrooms so it ended up being more of a creamy mushroom with corn soup. It was fantastic! @Lisa Marie - I very much dislike the texture of mushrooms, so I threw them in the blender with my corn (the pureed portion of the recipe). I find the flavor is quite enjoyable. Perhaps that will work for you too. If not, I think potatoes would be a wonderful addition.
Fantastic! I've had a few people tell me that they really enjoyed the chowder recipe, I'm so glad that you are one of them! Also, thank you for the tips for the mushroom-haters! 😉
That would be me ill sub the shrooms with zucchini or something I love corn chowder
Perfect dish for fall!
Hi, This chowder looks amazing, and I hope to give it a try. But I am allergic to mushrooms.... I am thinking of substituting potatoes, as they normally go well with corn in soups. I can slice them in approximately the same size, and parboil them so they can finish in the soup. I too, will use frozen, or fresh corn.
OOPs! I just saw the post above mine...the one who pureed her mushrooms! And suggested potatoes!? What a small world! And I used to go by Cathy, but prefer Catherine or Catie these days. I had to laugh at the coincidence of it all!
My son encouraged me to order with him (we share a lot of ingredients when shopping so we both are not overstocked) a large order of various spices that were on sale. I now have smoky paprika and other exotic spices, so I was happy to see the timely recipe that will give me a chance to experiment with them!
Thanks,
Catie
This has become my go to recipe for entertaining this fall. It's delicious, affordable, healthy, and meat eaters love it.